Botched operation leaves man paralysed

A Leeds man is to sue a Leeds hospital after a routine operation left him paralysed and needing permanent care and supervision.

Paul Gorman, who lives in the Oakwood area of the city, had a procedure, in December 2010, to repair a slipped disc but during the operation a guide wire pierced and passed through his spinal cord, causing him permanent damage which has left him unable to move his legs and needing care for the rest of his life.

Mr Gorman is suing the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust for clinical negligence and is seeking a figure in the region of £300,000. He is claiming that the surgeon responsible chose a type of surgery which was “inappropriate, carried an obvious risk of spinal injury and had a high chance of failure”. He adds that the hospital had a duty of care towards him but had failed to consider treatment which would have carried less of a risk and may have avoided the need for surgery altogether.

A spokesman for Leeds Teaching Hospitals said that the trust accepted that some aspects of Mr Gorman’s care fell below the required standard and that it reiterated its full and unreserved apology.